GEAR MAG

GENEVA, Feb 3 (Reuters) - A World Health Organization official said on Tuesday that the ​first five patients were transferred through ‌Gaza's Rafah crossing with Egypt, which reopened on Monday.

"On ‌the second of February, WHO and partners supported the medical evacuation of five patients and seven companions to Egypt via the Rafah crossing," ⁠said WHO spokesperson ‌Christian Lindmeier.

"It was the first medical evacuation through this route since sometime ‍in 2025," he said referring to a limited number of evacuations during an early 2025 ceasefire.

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Over 18,500 ​patients are awaiting evacuations after the two-year ‌war, he said, with trauma injuries from the war as well as chronic conditions such as cancer and diabetes.

A UNICEF spokesperson said that more than 3,000 of them were children. ⁠Gaza health authorities are ​choosing whom to prioritise among ​the sick and wounded, Lindmeier said.

"We know that patients have died basically waiting ‍for evacuation, ⁠and that's something which is horrible when you know just a few miles or ⁠kilometers outside that border, help is available," he added.

(Reporting ‌by Emma Farge, editing by Thomas ‌Seythal and Madeline Chambers)

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Defense lawyers in the Vatican's"trial of the century"argued Tuesday that Pope Francis inadvertently violated the fundamental rights of their clients by issuing four secret decrees that gave prosecutors "surreal carte blanche" to investigate in ways reminiscent of a "fascist" state where laws aren't published.

The tone of argument in the frescoed Vatican tribunal was so charged Tuesday, as the appeals trial resumed after a three-month break, that at one point the tribunal president asked defense lawyers to refrain from citing Francis by name.

The request by Archbishop Alejandro Arellano Cedillo underscored how Francis' problematic role in the big financial trial poses something of an existential dilemma for the Holy See. On the one hand, popes can only be judged by God. On the other, Francis stands accused of issuing decrees that violated the God-given rights of the defendants.

The case concernsthe once-powerful Cardinal Angelo Becciuand eight other defendants, who were convicted of a handful of financial crimes in 2023, after a sprawling two-year trial.

London property and more

The case, whichopened in 2021,had as its main focus the Vatican's investment of 350 million euros ($413 million) in a London property. Prosecutors alleged brokers and Vatican monsignors fleeced the Holy See of tens of millions of euros in fees and commissions to acquire the property, and then extorted the Holy See for 15 million euros ($16.5 million) to cede control of it.

The original investigation spawned two main tangents involving Becciu, who was convicted of embezzlement and sentenced to 5½ years in prison. The tribunal convicted eight other defendants of embezzlement, abuse of office, fraud and other charges.

All the defendants maintained their innocence and appealed. Prosecutors also appealed, since the tribunal largely threw out their overarching theory of a grand conspiracy to defraud the Holy See and instead convicted the defendants of a handful of serious but secondary charges.

Last month, the Vatican's highest Court of Cassation upheld the lower court's decision to throw out the prosecutor's appeal entirely because prosecutor Alessandro Diddi committed an embarrassing rookie procedural error.

On the same day as the Cassation ruling, Diddi also dropped months of objections and abruptly resigned from the case, rather than face the possibility that the Cassation court would order him removed.

At issue is Diddi's role in a now-infamous set ofWhatsApp chatsthat have thrown the credibility of the entire trial into question. The chats, which document a yearslong, behind-the-scenes effort to target Becciu, suggest questionable conduct by Vatican police, Vatican prosecutors and Francis himself.

Francis' role in focus

The appeal now proceeds on a next line of defense attack focusing on Francis' role in the investigation. During the trial, defense attorneys had argued their clients couldn't receive a fair trial inan absolute monarchywhere the pope wields supreme legislative, executive and judicial power.

At issue are four secret executive decrees Francis signed in 2019 and 2020, during the early days of the investigation, that gave Vatican prosecutors wide-ranging powers, including the unchecked use of wiretapping and the right to deviate from existing laws.

The decrees only came to light right before trial and were never officially published. They provided no rationale or time frame for the surveillance, nor oversight of the wiretapping by an independent judge, and were passed specifically for this investigation.

Legal scholars have said the secrecy of the laws and their ad hoc nature violated a basic tenet of the right to a fair trial requiring the "equality of arms" between defense and prosecution. In this case, the defense was completely unaware of the prosecution's new investigative powers. Even Vatican legal officials have privately conceded that Francis' failure to publish the decrees was deeply problematic.

On Tuesday, attorney Mario Zanchetti argued the whole trial should be annulled because of the secret decrees. His client, broker Gianluigi Torzi, had his cellphones and laptop seized, and was arrested and detained in the Vatican barracks for 10 days without charge or a judge's warrant, based on the sweeping powers granted to prosecutors by Francis' decrees.

Zanchetti argued that even in Iran and Russia, laws must be published, and that the failure to do so risks "making the Vatican's procedural code fascist."

He said he wasn't accusing Francis directly of wrongdoing, but said the late pope had been misled by prosecutors who requested the decrees.

At that point, Arellano the judge said: "I would ask you to not name Pope Francis. We all understand, if you avoid referencing the Holy Father."

Attorney Luigi Panella, for his part, said the decrees provided prosecutors with a "surreal carte blanche" to investigate.

Diddi had argued that Francis' decrees provided unspecified "guarantees" for the suspects, and the tribunal originally rejected the defense motions arguing the trial should be nullified because of them. In a somewhat convoluted decision, the judges ruled that no violation of the principle of legality had occurred since Francis had made the laws.

Zanchetti offered the appeals tribunal a way to avoid a finding against Francis, suggesting that the judges could find that the decrees were merely administrative acts that, because they were never published, are considered "ineffective."

Such a finding could render the evidence gathered under them inadmissible, but would avoid a finding that Francis himself violated divinely inspired norms guaranteeing the dignity and rights of the defendants.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP'scollaborationwith The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Prosecutors in Paris said they askedElon Muskto appear for questioning as part of an investigation into thedistribution of sexual deepfakesandHolocaust denial content, after searching X's offices in the French capital early Tuesday.

The search was carried out by the prosecutor's cybercrime unit, in partnership with French police's own cybercrime unit and Europol, the office said on X.

A voluntary summons was issued for Musk andformer X CEO Linda Yaccarinoto appear and answer questions about the platform's adherence to French law.

The prosecutor's office said it was investigating potential criminal offenses including complicity in the possession and distribution of "child pornography images," the violation of personal rights through the generation of "sexual deepfakes," the denial of "crimes against humanity" and the alleged fraudulent extraction of data from an automated processing system, as part of an organized gang.

"The voluntary interviews with the managers should enable them to explain their position on the facts and, where applicable, the compliance measures envisaged," the prosecutor's office said in a statement.

Musk and Yaccarino have been summoned to appear in Paris in the week of April 20. It's unclear what legal powers, if any, prosecutors have to compel them to appear.

The Paris prosecutor's office added that it was shutting its own account on X and would communicate on LinkedIn and Instagram instead.

In a later statement Europol, European Union's law enforcement agency, said the investigation concerned "a range of suspected criminal offences linked to the functioning and use of the platform, including the dissemination of illegal content and other forms of online criminal activity."

X did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment.

But the company's global government affairs account has previouslycriticized the French investigationas "politically motivated" and said the company "categorically denies" the allegations.

X has long facedpolitical pressure from European countriesand from the European Union itself for its alleged influence on elections.

Last year, the E.U.fined X the equivalent of $140 millionfor failing to combat hate speech and misinformation. Last month, the 27-nation bloclaunched a formal investigationinto sexual deepfakes created by X's Grok chatbot.

The probe came a day after Musk said Monday that SpaceX has acquired his artificial intelligence startup xAI in a record-setting deal that combined the rocket and satellite company with the maker of the Grok chatbot.

"This marks not just the next chapter, but the next book in SpaceX and xAI's mission: scaling to make a sentient sun to understand the Universe and extend the light of consciousness to the stars!" Musk said.

In the United Kingdom, the information commissioner's office said Tuesday it had begun its own investigation into X and the processing of personal information in the generation of deepfakes.

"The reports about Grok raise deeply troubling questions about how people's personal data has been used to generate intimate or sexualized images without their knowledge or consent, and whether the necessary safeguards were put in place to prevent this," William Malcom, an executive director at the office, said in a statement.

This follows thelaunch last month of a separate probe by Ofcom, the British communications regulator.

MILAN (AP) — Six cities across the United States have been named as hosts of soccer games at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Group stage games will go to New York City; Columbus, Ohio; Nashville, Tennessee; St. Louis, Missouri; plus San Diego and San Jose in California, organizers of the next Summer Games said on Tuesday.

LA 2028 chief executive Reynold Hoover told International Olympic Committee members the Games would be played in "premier existing Major League Soccer stadiums."

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The Rose Bowl in Pasadena was previously confirmed to host knockout and medal games.

AP Winter Olympics:https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Olympic speedskating championErin Jacksonand bobsledder Frank Del Duca have been selected as the flag bearers for Team USA's delegation at the opening ceremony of theMilano Cortina Winter Games.

Jackson, who won gold in the women's 500 meters in Beijing in 2022, will be back to defend her title and compete in the 1,000 meters as well. This will mark her third Olympic appearance.

"Being chosen to represent the United States on the world stage is a tremendous honor," Jackson said in a news release. "It's a moment that reflects far more than one individual – it represents my family, my teammates, my hometown, and everyone across the country who believes in the power of sport."

Olympic gold medalist, history making speed skater Erin Jackson

Del Duca − a sergeant in the U.S. Army stationed in Lake Placid, New York − made his Olympic Winter Games debut in Beijing, and has been in the sport for over a decade. He is part of the U.S. Army's World Class Athlete Program (WCAP).

"Being flag bearer for Team USA is an incredible honor," Del Duca said. "It was also quite the surprise. I'm grateful for the support from my teammates, coaches and staff, Team USA, U.S. Army WCAP, family and friends, and everyone who has helped me on this journey."

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Jackson and Del Duca were chosen by a vote of fellow Team USA athletes, and their selection was announced Tuesday, Feb. 3, by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

Jackson becomes the eighth speedskater in history to earn the honor of Team USA flag bearer, while Del Duca becomes the sixth bobsledder to carry the flag.

The opening ceremony will be held Friday, Feb. 6 at Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium in Milan.

It will be broadcast live Friday on NBC and Peacock beginning at 2 p.m. ET. Primetime coverage will begin at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and Peacock.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Olympians Erin Jackson, Frank Del Duca to carry US flag in Milan

Tennessee QB Joey Aguilar has become the latest player to take legal action against the NCAA in an attempt to play another season of college football.

Aguilar filed a lawsuit against the NCAA on Monday in Knox County (Tennessee) Chancery Court for a seventh season of eligibility. Aguilar, a California native, played just one season with the Volunteers after transferring from UCLA and Appalachian State.

[Get more Vols football news: Tennessee team feed]

The QB is officially out of eligibility and currently unable to return for the 2026 season. In his complaint, Aguilar says "the NCAA generally lets athletes play four full seasons, and Aguilar has played only three; but the NCAA arbitrarily counts the years he played in junior college at a non-NCAA school, as years he played for the NCAA. The NCAA refuses to give Aguilar one more year of eligibility, even though it gave all former JUCO players that relief last year after it lost a similar case against Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt's starting quarterback."

Pavia was able to play in 2025 after he gained an additional year of eligibility from the NCAA to make up for his time at a junior college. Last season was his sixth in college football as he started his junior college career in 2020.

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Aguilar's college career started a year before. He redshirted for a season at Community College of San Francisco in 2019 before the school's 2020 season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He then played two seasons at Diablo Valley Community College before transferring to Appalachian State for two seasons.

After the 2024 season, Aguilar transferred to UCLA and was set to compete to be the Bruins' starting QB. However, Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava transferred to UCLA during the spring and Aguilar essentially traded places with the former Vols QB.

Aguilar's extra season of college football makes his case not directly comparable to Pavia's. The NCAA granted players an extra season of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and Pavia played five seasons in five years from 2025 before exhausting his eligibility.

Aguilar has also played five seasons in five years from 2021 through 2025 and he's currently asking for a sixth, mainly because two of those three seasons came in junior college. One of Pavia's four seasons in that span came at a juco.

Quite frankly, Tennessee needs Aguilar back in the fold for the 2026 season. He said in his filing that he has a roster spot available to him for next season and the Vols would be silly not to take him back. The school courted numerous quarterbacks in the transfer portal with Aguilar's eligibility officially over but struck out. An Aguilar return would significantly boost Tennessee's chances of being competitive in the SEC next season.

TOKYO, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Soldiers and swarms of snow plows battled in Japan on Tuesday to clear ​record-breaking snowfalls that have buried some northern and ‌western cities, as the death toll rose to 30 from winter ‌storms.

Japan regularly receives some of the highest snowfall in the world, making it a top destination for winter sports, but this year's bitter conditions could dent turnout in Sunday's ⁠general elections, the first ‌in 36 years scheduled in midwinter.

Troops from the Self-Defence Forces were drafted in to help ‍authorities struggling to clear a nearly 2-m (7-ft) pileup of snow in the city of Aomori, the biggest seen in four decades.

About ​1,000 snow plows began trying to push snow ‌off 3,800 km (2,300 miles) of roads in Sapporo, the largest city in the Hokkaido region, broadcaster Nippon TV said.

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The scale of this year's snowfall temporarily closed Hokkaido's main airport last week, stranding hundreds of passengers, while snarling other ⁠travel, delaying train services and forcing ​the closure of some highways.

More ​than 100 people have suffered serious injury nationwide in snow-related incidents since January 20, while 30 ‍have died, figures ⁠from the disaster management agency show.

The agency did not specify the manner of death, but domestic media ⁠have reported falls from rooftops as people tried to clear away ‌massive mounds.

(Reporting by Rikako Maruyama; Writing by John ‌Geddie; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)